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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 · stock · key · can · foot · pit · racket · scale

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — a measure
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stock — goods
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. scale — in music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. field — for sport
  24. stock — shares

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