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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — for sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. key — for a lock
  19. field — farmland
  20. key — in music
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. firm — a company

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