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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. field — farmland
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of a king
  5. field — for sport
  6. track — a path
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. can — to be able to
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. court — of law
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stock — goods
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  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