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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. field — farmland
  3. firm — a company
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. field — a subject
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. firm — decided
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — a leader

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