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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · bear · swing · scale · snap · stock · field · key

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — for a lock
  5. swing — in golf
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. swing — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — in music
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. swing — to play on
  24. scale — size or range

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