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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — farmland
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — in sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — of the year
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. lie — to recline
  13. row — a line
  14. board — a committee
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a dance
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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