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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — an aim
  5. field — for sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — a law
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — a thing
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rule — government
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. field — a subject
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. field — farmland
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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