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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — a committee
  9. file — a tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — to rob
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mug — a face
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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