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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · field · rule · firm · foot · jam · bear · wake

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rule — government
  5. field — a subject
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. firm — steady
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wake — a trail
  15. field — farmland
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kid — to tease
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rule — a law
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — a company
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. firm — decided

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