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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — the amount
  5. field — a subject
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. firm — decided
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — happy
  17. field — farmland
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — a hint
  21. roll — a list
  22. field — for sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. firm — steady

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