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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 120 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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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: field · fall · can · stock · cabinet · bat · foot · mouse

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bat — the animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stock — shares
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. field — a subject
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — for a computer

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