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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. last — final
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — a path
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a song
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mug — a face
  21. court — of law
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. mug — to rob

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