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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: field · wind · court · stand · row · dip · calf · cabinet

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stand — to bear
  13. court — of law
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — a subject

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