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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — a match
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. field — for sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. field — farmland
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — to handle
  12. face — to point toward
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. firm — a company
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — decided
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bound — tied together
  22. firm — steady
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — a subject

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