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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rash — a series
  3. firm — steady
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — decided
  6. tear — from crying
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — a group
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — hasty
  12. field — for sport
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — a company
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. field — farmland
  21. club — for golf
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cap — of ice
  24. root — of a word

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