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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. field — a subject
  12. land — a country
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. land — to come down
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. field — for sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — steady
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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