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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. field — for sport
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — all right
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — farmland
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — a subject
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. key — the most important part

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