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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pound — a weight
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. field — for sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — a gift
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. firm — decided
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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