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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — all right
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. scale — size or range

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