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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. chest — a box
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. field — a subject
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. craft — a skill
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. craft — boats
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. sharp — clever
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. chest — of your body
  22. field — farmland
  23. chest — of your body
  24. capital — a big letter

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