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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fall — the season
  4. stand — to bear
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — for sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — farmland
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — in football
  24. rash — on the skin

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