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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. firm — a company
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of a king
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — bread
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. court — for sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spring — the season
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — a subject
  16. court — of law
  17. field — for sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. firm — decided
  24. spring — of water

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