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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. field — farmland
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — a subject
  9. key — the most important part
  10. face — to confront
  11. key — for a lock
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — part of the body

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