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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. field — for sport
  7. stock — shares
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — all right
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. track — a path
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — a trail
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — farmland
  24. fine — a penalty

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