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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — for sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cap — a hat
  11. field — a subject
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cold — not warm
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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