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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.

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: bear · rash · ball · net · field · stick · toast · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. net — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — for sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — farmland
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — on your feet

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