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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — farmland
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — for sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. field — a subject
  15. firm — decided
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spell — letters
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bass — the instrument

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