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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — a line
  4. dip — to sink
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. can — to be able to
  9. file — a document
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ball — a great time
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — to paddle
  17. file — a line of people
  18. field — a subject
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. field — farmland

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