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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. degree — from a university
  3. firm — a company
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rest — a break
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — a hint
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — a leader
  19. firm — steady
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a signal

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