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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. squash — to crush
  6. field — a subject
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. fine — all right
  10. firm — steady
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. firm — decided
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spring — a coil
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. field — farmland

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