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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — money
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — there
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — decided
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. capital — a city
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. calf — a young animal
  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