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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. capital — a city
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — for sport
  9. present — there
  10. kid — to tease
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — a weight
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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