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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: suit · field · court · cabinet · drill · scale · stock · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stock — shares
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. bass — low music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — for sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — the fish
  14. scale — size or range
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. drill — army training
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. scale — in music
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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