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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. field — a subject
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — a line
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — decided
  11. net — in sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. net — after costs
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — a company
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — for sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. field — farmland
  24. net — for catching

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