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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — temperature
  9. field — farmland
  10. mug — a face
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — a subject
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mug — to rob
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com