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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — for sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — a subject
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — farmland
  20. stock — goods
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — to fit

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