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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — a position
  5. field — a subject
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — crushed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ground — the earth
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — farmland
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — a division
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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