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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: land · leaves · stand · mark · field · pop · firm · track

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — soda
  3. field — for sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — a country
  6. field — a subject
  7. firm — decided
  8. track — a path
  9. land — ground
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. field — farmland
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — to visit
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — a trace
  21. land — to come down
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. track — a song
  24. firm — steady

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