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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — in a road
  4. firm — steady
  5. ground — a position
  6. firm — a company
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — a subject
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — decided
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. game — wild animals
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — a match
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. field — farmland
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cabinet — ministers

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