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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. object — to protest
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — a city
  11. fall — the season
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — money
  14. object — an aim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — farmland
  22. branch — a division
  23. firm — steady
  24. branch — of a bank

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