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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a face
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rule — a law
  16. field — farmland
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — a subject
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rule — government
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chair — a professorship

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