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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. field — a subject
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — a company
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. field — farmland
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pop — soda
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — decided
  21. pop — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. field — for sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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