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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · fan · present · row · stand · field · deal · roll

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. field — for sport
  8. roll — a cake
  9. present — a gift
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. present — there
  15. field — a subject
  16. row — a line
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — the time now
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. roll — a list

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