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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: field · drill · toast · firm · pop · rock · face · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — soda
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. rock — music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pop — to visit
  9. firm — a company
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. firm — decided
  14. stand — to bear
  15. drill — army training
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. toast — bread
  18. field — a subject
  19. drill — the tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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