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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 116 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: field · board · scale · season · hide · mine · pop · stand

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pop — soda
  10. field — for sport
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — farmland
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. scale — in music
  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