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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — farmland
  6. rule — a law
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — government
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a hat
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cap — a lid
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stock — shares
  24. field — a subject

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