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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. land — to come down
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — a city
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. capital — money
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. field — for sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — a country
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. land — ground

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