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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: ball · hide · stand · drill · foot · file · tube · field

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. field — for sport
  3. tube — the underground
  4. drill — the tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. file — a tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. drill — army training
  19. file — a document
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. field — a subject
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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