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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. mate — a partner
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chair — a leader
  10. field — farmland
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — a subject
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — steady

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