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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. field — for sport
  7. snap — to click
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. field — a subject
  17. firm — steady
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — a container

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