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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. field — farmland
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — for sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cap — of ice
  22. field — a subject
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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