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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stock — goods
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. stock — shares
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — to visit
  19. charge — in control
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rash — hasty
  22. charge — a price
  23. mark — a grade
  24. charge — electricity

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