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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. field — farmland
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. field — for sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. stock — shares
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. field — a subject

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