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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. court — of a king
  6. field — a subject
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — for sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — of law
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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