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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — to bear
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — farmland
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bat — the animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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