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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. drill — army training
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — for sport
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. swing — in golf
  10. field — a subject
  11. stand — to bear
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. field — farmland
  24. straw — a straw man

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