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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — a company
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. can — to be able to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. craft — boats
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. field — farmland
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ground — a position

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