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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: bore · stand · net · field · march · key · content · fall

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — the amount
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. march — music
  10. fall — the season
  11. field — a subject
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — in music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. content — happy
  18. key — for a lock
  19. net — after costs
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — for sport
  24. march — the month

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