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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · stand · pit · field · ground · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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. squash — the vegetable
  3. pit — a hole
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — a position
  12. field — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — a subject
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. field — farmland
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pit — in a race

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