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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 120 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: firm · stand · kick · suit · field · foot · wax · court

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. field — farmland
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. firm — steady
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. foot — a measure
  10. field — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — in football
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — decided
  15. wax — to grow
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. suit — clothes
  18. court — for sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — of law
  23. field — a subject
  24. firm — a company

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