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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — steady
  3. track — a path
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — decided
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. field — a subject
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. field — farmland

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