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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. current — of water
  3. field — farmland
  4. hand — help
  5. current — electric
  6. field — for sport
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — happening now
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. field — a subject
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stand — on your feet

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