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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: field · stick · bulb · stand · mark · ground · suit · pitcher

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — a subject
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — a position
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mark — a trace
  13. field — for sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. field — farmland

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