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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: object · field · saw · stand · swing · land · rule · cabinet

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — a country
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. field — a subject
  9. land — to come down
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. saw — the tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — farmland
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — a thing
  22. land — ground
  23. swing — music
  24. field — for sport

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