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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. face — part of the head
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — farmland
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. field — for sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — decided
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. firm — steady
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. can — to be able to
  19. firm — a company
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — to point toward
  22. field — a subject
  23. face — to confront
  24. can — a tin

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