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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to click
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — to get on
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. deal — to handle
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. field — for sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — a committee
  18. charge — a price
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. leaves — to go away

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