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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. last — final
  3. scale — in music
  4. field — a subject
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. last — finally
  7. tear — to rip
  8. scale — size or range
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — from crying
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — a grade
  17. field — farmland
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. firm — a company

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