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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stock — goods
  3. field — a subject
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. shower — rain
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. race — a contest
  11. stand — to bear
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — for sport
  15. track — a song
  16. race — the arms race
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — shares
  22. race — humankind
  23. track — to keep track
  24. temple — side of the head

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