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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. field — a subject
  5. rock — a stone
  6. firm — decided
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rock — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a partner
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. firm — a company

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