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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stock — shares
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — of a river
  5. field — farmland
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pop — soda
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pop — to visit
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — the most important part

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