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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — to tire
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a ring
  11. field — farmland
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — a thing
  14. field — for sport
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. object — to protest
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. board — a committee
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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