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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. firm — decided
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a face
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. firm — a company
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. field — a subject
  24. degree — temperature

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