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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. field — for sport
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — a company
  9. field — a subject
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. stand — to bear
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — farmland
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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