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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stock — shares
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. field — for sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. toast — bread
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — farmland

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