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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — hurry
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — a match
  6. spring — the season
  7. dip — to sink
  8. firm — a company
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — in sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — wild animals
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spring — of water
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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