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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spell — letters
  4. field — for sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — magic
  11. track — a song
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. track — a path
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stock — shares
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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