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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · field · pound · stand · leaves · mine · scale · pass

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. firm — a company
  4. field — for sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — a permit
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. field — a subject
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — an explosive

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