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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stock — goods
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. field — for sport
  7. lean — to bend
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — a hint
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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