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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — a company
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a city
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — steady
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — for sport
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. capital — money
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — farmland
  21. kid — child
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  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