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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. deal — to handle
  6. field — farmland
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. field — for sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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