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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. land — to come down
  3. field — a subject
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. land — a country
  11. stock — shares
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — ground
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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