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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. field — a subject
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. last — finally
  16. board — a committee
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — to go on
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. field — farmland
  21. ground — a position
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — final
  24. field — for sport

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