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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. field — for sport
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. field — farmland
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pitch — completely
  18. board — a committee
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. field — a subject
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. coach — a trainer

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