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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — of a king
  3. current — electric
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. current — of water
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — happening now
  21. field — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stock — shares

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