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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — an aim
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. field — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — farmland
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — a song
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. object — to protest
  15. mate — a friend
  16. track — to keep track
  17. object — a thing
  18. track — a path
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mate — to breed

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