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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — finally
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. last — final
  17. deal — to handle
  18. firm — decided
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  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