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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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. suit — clothes
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — a trail
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wave — of the sea

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