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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — farmland
  5. bound — tied together
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. last — finally
  9. deal — to handle
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. last — final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. object — to protest
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — a subject
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — to hurry

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