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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — farmland
  19. race — a contest
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — humankind

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