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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: key · field · rock · chair · stand · root · rush · firm

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. firm — a company
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. firm — steady
  5. root — of a plant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. root — of a word
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. key — in music
  19. root — the cause
  20. firm — decided
  21. field — a subject
  22. chair — a leader
  23. field — for sport
  24. rock — to move gently

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