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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — for a computer

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