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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. track — a path
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. firm — decided
  6. lean — to bend
  7. firm — a company
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — a container
  23. row — to paddle
  24. tube — in a tire

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