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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. mug — a cup
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. present — a gift
  15. mug — a face
  16. field — farmland
  17. present — there
  18. capital — a city
  19. field — for sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — a subject
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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