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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 · march · mug · field · bat · stock · rash · deal

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mug — a face
  4. stock — shares
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. field — for sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rash — a series
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — farmland
  20. mug — to rob
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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