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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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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: toast · field · sharp · tear · object · stand · wind · key

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — for sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. field — a subject
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — to bear
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tear — from crying
  19. field — farmland
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. key — in music
  24. toast — bread

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