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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 · spell · stand · cap · swing · bore · jam · mark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bore — to tire
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spell — letters
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mark — a trace
  14. field — a subject
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. field — farmland
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. swing — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. field — for sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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