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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rock — music
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. capital — a city
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bound — certain
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — tied together
  18. deal — to handle
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. capital — money
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — an agreement

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