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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. field — for sport
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — happy
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. suit — clothes
  8. field — a subject
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — the amount
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rash — a series
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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