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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — electric
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — to confront
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stock — goods
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — for sport
  22. stock — shares
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. face — part 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