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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — decided
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ground — a position
  10. firm — steady
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — crushed

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