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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stock — shares
  13. shower — to wash
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. toast — the most admired
  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