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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stock — shares
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — high quality
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — goods
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. suit — clothes
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitch — a sports field

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