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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stock — goods
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. scale — in music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — shares
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. field — for sport

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