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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to sink
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. field — farmland
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chair — a leader
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. deal — to handle

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