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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mine — for digging
  3. toast — bread
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bass — the fish
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — low music
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — of water
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rest — a break

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