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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — farmland
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — of a river
  19. scale — in music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. field — a subject
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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