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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. field — farmland
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet

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