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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: field · stand · jam · fine · row · pit · court · mine

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — of a king
  5. row — a line
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — a subject
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. field — for sport
  16. pit — a hole
  17. court — of law
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — all right
  20. mine — for digging
  21. court — for sport
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — high quality

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