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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — for sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — a subject
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a document
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — farmland
  15. sharp — clever
  16. file — a tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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