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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — to protest
  7. field — a subject
  8. firm — decided
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — an aim
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. object — a thing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — to drop
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. field — for sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fall — the season

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