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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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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: stand · pop · rest · cell · field · bay · foot · mug

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. pop — soda
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. field — farmland
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. field — for sport
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pop — to visit
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — a phone

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