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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — shares
  5. field — a subject
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — the time now
  9. scale — in music
  10. present — there
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — farmland
  16. present — a gift
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — final
  20. fall — the season
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — size or range
  23. last — finally
  24. mate — a friend

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