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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — for sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rash — hasty
  8. court — of law
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. root — of a word
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — the cause
  21. field — a subject
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — on the skin

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