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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — money
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. capital — a city
  21. field — a subject
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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