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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. sharp — clever
  17. vault — a safe
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. kick — in football
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — decided
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. key — for a lock

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