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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. field — farmland
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bound — obliged
  21. field — for sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — certain

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