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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 120 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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. face — part of the head
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stock — goods
  6. field — farmland
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. face — to confront
  9. pit — a hole
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — in music
  12. field — a subject
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — in a race
  16. scale — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. scale — size or range
  24. key — the most important part

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