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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 124 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. suit — in cards
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. field — a subject
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — a stone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — for sport
  24. game — a match

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