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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stock — goods
  3. court — for sport
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. track — a path
  7. field — a subject
  8. bore — to drill
  9. court — of law
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of a king
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bore — to tire
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — army training
  21. stock — shares
  22. pass — a permit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — gave birth

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