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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. game — a match
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. season — of the year
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. field — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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