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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. field — farmland
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. field — a subject
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — for sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — to dunk

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