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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. firm — steady
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. dip — to sink
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — the amount
  23. board — a committee
  24. mark — to pay attention

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