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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · land · stand · track · bore · clip · field · bay

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. land — ground
  2. track — to keep track
  3. land — to come down
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — a path
  15. field — a subject
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bear — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. clip — to cut
  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