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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stock — shares
  6. field — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — money
  9. field — a subject
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — boats
  12. capital — a city
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. board — a committee
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pass — a permit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. safe — out of danger

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