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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. field — farmland
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. field — a subject
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stock — shares
  17. field — for sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. toast — bread
  21. swing — to play on
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mark — a grade
  24. swing — music

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