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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 120 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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — steady
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. object — an aim
  17. field — for sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — a subject
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. object — to protest

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