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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. spring — the season
  6. field — for sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. firm — decided
  9. field — a subject
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spring — of water
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. firm — a company
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — steady

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