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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: face · object · bowl · race · field · mug · firm · fork

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. race — humankind
  11. field — farmland
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fork — in a road
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — a company
  20. field — a subject
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fork — to eat with

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