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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — decided
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a line of people
  16. object — a thing
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — steady
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — electricity
  23. field — farmland
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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