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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — a grade
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — of a word
  7. stock — shares
  8. season — of the year
  9. swing — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. root — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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