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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — a subject
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. stock — shares
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — of law
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rule — government
  21. craft — a skill
  22. court — of a king
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — for sport

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