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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chest — a box
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — a subject
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mark — a trace
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — a grade
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — a big deal

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