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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. object — to protest
  3. field — farmland
  4. charge — a price
  5. firm — decided
  6. object — a thing
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. key — the most important part
  10. field — a subject
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — for a lock
  16. firm — steady
  17. key — in music
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. object — an aim
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — a face

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