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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. face — to confront
  3. field — a subject
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — to get on
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. field — for sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cue — a signal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — for pool
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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