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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: toast · field · sharp · calf · mouse · pound · stock · press

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. pound — a weight
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — a publisher
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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