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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: stock · cell · field · foot · bay · charge · fine · bear

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — in control
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — electricity
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. charge — a price
  15. fine — all right
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — for sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bear — to put up with

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