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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. field — for sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — electricity
  6. firm — a company
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — farmland
  21. firm — steady
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — a price

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