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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. band — a ring
  3. firm — steady
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — music
  6. mug — a face
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rock — a stone
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. firm — a company
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — to rob
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stand — to bear
  20. band — a music group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — a subject
  23. band — a rubber band
  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