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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. field — a subject
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — farmland
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. field — for sport
  9. pass — a permit
  10. root — the cause
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — a committee

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