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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stock — shares
  9. face — part of the head
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. field — farmland
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stock — goods
  22. rock — a stone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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