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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. 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. firm — steady
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. firm — a company
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. 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