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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spring — a coil
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. board — to get on
  8. field — farmland
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — a trail
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ground — a position
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — for sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spring — the season
  24. field — a subject

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