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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mug · firm · squash · field · foot · scale · key · snap

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — steady
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mug — a cup
  12. firm — decided
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. scale — in music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — to rob
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. snap — to click
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — a face
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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