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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — shares
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — the sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. field — a subject
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mug — a face
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stand — to bear

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