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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. firm — decided
  3. object — to protest
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. firm — a company
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — for sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — farmland
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. object — a thing
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — to eat

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