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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — happy
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. field — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rest — a break
  24. coach — a trainer

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