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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stock — goods
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — shares
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. press — to push
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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