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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rest — a break
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wind — moving air
  11. field — a subject
  12. firm — steady
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. field — farmland
  15. rest — what's left
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. firm — a company
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. date — the fruit

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