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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. firm — steady
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rash — a series
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rash — hasty
  10. field — for sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. firm — a company
  16. craft — boats
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — a hint
  21. craft — a skill
  22. club — for golf
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. firm — decided

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