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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 · spring · ruler · mug · bowl · pit · dip · stock

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — a subject
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — shares
  7. mug — a cup
  8. field — for sport
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — to rob
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spring — the season
  18. stock — goods
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — of water
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a face

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