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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.

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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. field — a subject
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — for sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bore — to drill
  11. board — a committee
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. root — the cause
  20. field — farmland
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitch — completely

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