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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. row — to paddle
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stand — to bear
  5. row — a line
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — a break
  13. board — a committee
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — farmland
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rest — what's left

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