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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. field — a subject
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. toast — bread
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hand — help
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stand — to bear
  16. field — farmland
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. field — for sport
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. hand — in cards

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