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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. field — farmland
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — a subject
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wake — a trail
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. key — in music
  14. charge — a price
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — electricity
  24. coach — a trainer

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