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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rush — hurry
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — obliged
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — farmland
  16. bound — certain
  17. field — a subject
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stand — for spectators

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