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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — decided
  3. field — farmland
  4. march — the month
  5. pound — a weight
  6. field — a subject
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — for sport
  11. march — the month
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — steady
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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