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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stock — goods
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. jam — in traffic

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