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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: mark · stand · field · key · leaves · scale · jam · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. key — in music
  4. scale — in music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — a country
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — a subject
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. scale — for weighing

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