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

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — for sport
  6. current — of water
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a face
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. field — a subject
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a document
  20. can — a tin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. current — happening now
  24. file — a tool

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