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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: rash · foot · pop · stand · mine · bore · field · mark

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pop — music
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mark — a grade
  6. field — a subject
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. field — farmland
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — for digging
  24. field — for sport

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