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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — the amount
  3. field — farmland
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — for betting
  17. drill — a practice
  18. firm — decided
  19. stand — to bear
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. chip — to eat
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. field — a subject

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