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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. field — for sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. present — a gift
  5. field — farmland
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. club — for dancing
  12. present — the time now
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mark — a trace
  15. present — there
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — a group
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for golf
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fan — a supporter

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