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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — certain
  5. field — for sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — a subject
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — tied together

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