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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. key — in music
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — farmland
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a committee
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — boats
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mine — for digging
  24. board — to get on

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