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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — for digging
  4. field — a subject
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spell — a short time
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. spell — magic
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. spell — letters
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stand — to bear

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