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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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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: rock · bear · toast · stand · wind · field · board · cabinet

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — for sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — to get on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — bread
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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