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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — letters
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — magic
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. field — a subject
  9. kid — child
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. object — an aim
  16. field — for sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mark — a trace
  20. object — a thing
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — farmland
  24. firm — a company

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