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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. dip — to sink
  3. field — for sport
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. field — farmland
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — decided
  23. stand — to bear
  24. field — a subject

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