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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. craft — a skill
  4. field — for sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. craft — boats
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. field — a subject
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stock — goods
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. field — farmland
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — shares
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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