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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — in music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mate — a friend
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mate — to breed
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — for digging
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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