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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. hand — help
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. root — the cause
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — of a word
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. root — of a plant
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. firm — a company

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