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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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Word bank
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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: stand · fan · field · patient · roll · root · last · board

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. last — final
  10. roll — a list
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — to go on
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — a cake
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — farmland
  22. root — of a word
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — on a roll

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