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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · field · hide · mug · fork · chair · stock · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chair — a leader
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — for sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stock — shares
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — a face

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