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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.

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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: sharp · scale · net · fan · rest · stand · vault · field

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. sharp — clever
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. scale — in music
  8. field — for sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — farmland
  22. net — in sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — to cool the air

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