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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lean — thin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — for golf
  7. stand — to bear
  8. club — a group
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — electricity
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — in control
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — farmland
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — a price

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