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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — to crush
  3. suit — clothes
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. firm — a company
  7. field — a subject
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. squash — the sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. degree — from a university
  15. field — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. field — farmland
  21. degree — an amount
  22. suit — to fit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a trace

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