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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — to get on
  5. field — a subject
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — the time now
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — a list
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. present — there
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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