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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — of the year
  16. firm — decided
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — in sport
  22. content — the amount
  23. firm — a company
  24. content — happy

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