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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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. field — a subject
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pass — a permit
  15. board — a committee
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. game — a match
  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