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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — a thing
  4. field — a subject
  5. club — for golf
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — an aim
  9. fall — the season
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — a group
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. net — for catching
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. club — for dancing
  18. field — farmland
  19. fall — to drop
  20. field — for sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — shares
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — music

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