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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: bulb · fan · degree · date · bay · field · stock · pit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. field — farmland
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — in a race
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. degree — temperature
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — a subject

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