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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — farmland
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. mug — a face
  18. craft — boats
  19. tube — a container
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — to rip
  22. craft — a skill
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pass — a permit

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