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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: sharp · stock · field · mark · mouse · content · bay · cue

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — a hint
  15. content — the amount
  16. stock — shares
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. content — happy
  21. cue — a signal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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