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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 120 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: row · face · deal · field · bear · pop · ball · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. face — to confront
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pop — music
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pop — soda
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. face — to point toward

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