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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.

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: toast · pitcher · stock · patient · racket · wake · foot · field

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — for sport
  3. toast — bread
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. field — farmland
  8. stock — goods
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — a measure
  14. field — a subject
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — shares
  24. toast — the most admired

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