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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — steady
  6. capital — a city
  7. suit — to fit
  8. field — farmland
  9. deal — to handle
  10. field — for sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. firm — a company
  17. suit — in cards
  18. capital — money
  19. field — a subject
  20. fork — in a road
  21. suit — clothes
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pop — soda
  24. firm — decided

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