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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. field — farmland
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stock — shares
  23. toast — bread
  24. coach — a trainer

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