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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — for catching
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. field — for sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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