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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — a subject
  4. firm — decided
  5. season — of the year
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chest — of your body
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — in sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chest — a box
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. field — for sport

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