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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rule — government
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mug — a face
  6. rule — a law
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pound — a weight
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fall — the season
  24. field — farmland

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