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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. field — farmland
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. club — a group
  14. charge — a price
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — in control

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