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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. club — for golf
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — a subject
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — farmland
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rock — music
  17. club — a group
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — for sport
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. perch — the fish
  24. object — an aim

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