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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. field — a subject
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. court — of law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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