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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. field — for sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — farmland
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. firm — decided
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. field — a subject
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — size or range
  21. firm — a company
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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