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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kid — child
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — steady
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. chair — a leader
  10. kid — to tease
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. firm — a company
  13. object — a thing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — a song
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — a subject
  24. track — a path

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