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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: field · land · mug · season · file · stand · scale · mine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — farmland
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. land — a country
  9. field — a subject
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. scale — in music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — to rob
  15. season — of the year
  16. mug — a cup
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. field — for sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. land — to come down
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — ground

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