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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: foot · prune · fall · firm · stand · field · mark · patient

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — for sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. field — a subject
  5. firm — steady
  6. field — farmland
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. firm — a company
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — decided
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — to bear
  24. patient — a sick person

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