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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. deal — to handle
  7. firm — decided
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — help
  16. pit — a hole
  17. track — a song
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. face — to confront

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