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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stock — goods
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kid — to tease
  9. field — for sport
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bass — low music
  14. kid — child
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bass — the fish
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — clever

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