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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 120 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
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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: fine · mouse · deal · firm · fan · ground · kid · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ground — a position
  3. field — for sport
  4. firm — steady
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. firm — decided
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. firm — a company
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. field — a subject
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — all right
  24. ground — the earth

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