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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. season — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. root — the cause
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — child
  13. object — a thing
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. season — of the year
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. object — an aim
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — to protest
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fall — the season

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