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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. field — farmland
  8. present — the time now
  9. field — for sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. field — a subject

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