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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. firm — steady
  3. plane — a tool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. content — happy
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — a match
  21. firm — decided
  22. lie — to recline
  23. content — the amount
  24. lie — an untruth

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