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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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. net — in sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — to fit
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. rash — hasty
  24. net — after costs

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