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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 · calf · sharp · stock · deal · mate · leaves · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — a partner
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — to handle
  9. field — for sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — the animal
  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