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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: stock · bowl · date · ball · stick · field · toast · present

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. toast — bread
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — farmland
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. present — a gift
  15. field — for sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — there
  23. bowl — to roll
  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