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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — goods
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. club — for golf
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — shares
  13. club — for dancing
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. field — farmland
  22. staff — a stick
  23. field — a subject
  24. club — a group

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