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

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. field — a subject
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. field — farmland
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — a trainer

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