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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — farmland
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. march — the month
  10. board — to get on
  11. march — music
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — a permit
  16. scale — size or range
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. deal — to handle
  21. field — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — a committee

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