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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — a gift
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — farmland
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. present — the time now
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — in a race
  21. present — there
  22. board — a committee
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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