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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. firm — a company
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tear — from crying
  12. field — a subject
  13. mark — a trace
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mark — a grade
  20. firm — decided
  21. tear — from crying
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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