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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. land — ground
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — a country
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. field — for sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. stand — on your feet

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