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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. drill — army training
  5. march — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. firm — a company
  14. march — the month
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — steady
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lean — thin
  20. march — the month
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — all right
  23. field — a subject
  24. drill — a practice

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