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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · snap · game · bowl · stock · bay · suit · field

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. game — a match
  5. field — a subject
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fine — high quality
  13. snap — to click
  14. field — for sport
  15. fine — all right
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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