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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. scale — size or range
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — steady
  7. field — a subject
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — farmland
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. firm — decided
  22. field — for sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — help

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