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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. board — to get on
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stock — goods
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — the earth
  13. field — farmland
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — for sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. mouse — for a computer

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