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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: row · fall · stand · bore · suit · field · dip · net

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — a subject
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. suit — to fit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. row — a line
  17. field — for sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to sink
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — to dunk

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