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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: last · toast · current · field · pass · stand · rock · cold

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. toast — bread
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — of water
  11. last — final
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cold — an illness
  16. current — happening now
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rock — music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. last — finally
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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