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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. field — for sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. field — a subject

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