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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fine — high quality
  4. firm — steady
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — decided
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. race — the arms race
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — humankind
  12. suit — in cards
  13. race — a contest
  14. fine — all right
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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