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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. last — final
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — soda
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — to go on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — decided
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — finally

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