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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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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: last · chair · mug · field · stand · present · track · saw

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. present — a gift
  4. last — finally
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — the time now
  7. mug — to rob
  8. track — a path
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. last — to go on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — for sport
  17. last — final
  18. mug — a face
  19. field — a subject
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — there
  24. stand — to bear

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