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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. field — for sport
  7. row — a line
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. field — farmland
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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