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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ball — a dance
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rule — a law
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. field — farmland
  20. rule — government
  21. firm — steady
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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