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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. field — for sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bank — of a river
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. field — a subject
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bank — for money

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