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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — the tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. pop — music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — army training
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — for sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. present — there
  17. field — a subject
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to bend
  24. sharp — exactly

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