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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mate — to breed
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — in cards
  8. firm — decided
  9. ball — a great time
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — a friend
  13. hand — help
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. field — farmland
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to click
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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