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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. field — farmland
  7. spell — magic
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rule — a law
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — goods
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — shares
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — government
  21. spell — letters
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — a soup base

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