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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — a series
  4. ground — the earth
  5. chip — for betting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. field — for sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — hasty
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mate — a partner
  14. field — a subject
  15. ground — a position
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — farmland
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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