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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. field — for sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stock — goods
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — farmland
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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