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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. field — a subject
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — a company
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — a gift
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — finally
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — farmland
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — steady
  13. present — there
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. last — to go on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fine — high quality
  18. field — for sport
  19. last — final
  20. wind — moving air
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wind — to turn a key

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