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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.

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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 · roll · saw · rule · stock · mate · stick · lie

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rule — a law
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mate — a partner
  16. field — farmland
  17. roll — a list
  18. field — for sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. roll — a cake
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — a subject

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