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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rock — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. field — a subject
  5. game — a match
  6. field — farmland
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — to protest
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — a stone
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — wild animals
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — a gift
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — there

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