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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 120 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: deal · bass · object · field · stand · hide · swing · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — farmland
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — for sport
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bass — low music
  16. swing — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — a thing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — a subject
  23. object — to protest
  24. bass — the instrument

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