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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. squash — to crush
  4. land — to come down
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. land — ground
  7. foot — a measure
  8. object — an aim
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. object — to protest
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — a committee
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — a break
  22. land — a country
  23. object — a thing
  24. field — for sport

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