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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. charge — in control
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — the season
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — a skill
  22. charge — a price
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — a subject

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