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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — to get on
  5. field — farmland
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — the month
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. march — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. field — a subject
  24. temple — side of the head

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