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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — farmland
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. board — to get on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. field — for sport
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — a company
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — a subject
  16. firm — decided
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. board — a committee
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rush — to hurry

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