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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. drill — army training
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rock — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a music group
  24. stock — goods

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