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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · kick · field · net · jam · swing · bore · mine

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mine — for digging
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bore — to tire
  8. net — in sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — to bear
  18. field — farmland
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — to drill
  22. net — after costs
  23. field — for sport
  24. swing — in golf

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