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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — to come down
  3. firm — a company
  4. bound — tied together
  5. land — ground
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — a country
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — farmland
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. row — a line
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — obliged
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. field — for sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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