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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a document
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — for sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — a subject
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. firm — decided
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — a leader
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. firm — a company
  24. leaves — to go away

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