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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. row — a line
  3. mark — a trace
  4. field — for sport
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pound — a weight
  8. row — to paddle
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — a subject
  13. chip — for betting
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a grade
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chip — to eat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — in a computer

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