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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of law
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. firm — a company
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. field — farmland
  21. row — to paddle
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. row — a line

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