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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. field — for sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — child
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. field — a subject
  24. track — to keep track

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