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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: suit · fan · stand · chest · field · present · branch · deal

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. field — a subject
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — a division
  16. chest — a box
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — the time now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — there
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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