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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 · stand · pop · craft · leaves · game · dip · rule

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. game — wild animals
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pop — soda
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. craft — boats
  11. rule — a law
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. craft — a skill
  21. dip — to sink
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — to bear

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