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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
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: land · pit · trunk · cabinet · field · chip · coach · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — a subject
  8. chip — for betting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pit — a hole
  11. field — farmland
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chip — to eat
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — a country
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. land — ground
  22. field — for sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stand — for spectators

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