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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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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: field · stand · net · rush · bay · tube · stick · pop

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — for sport
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — farmland
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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