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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — a subject
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a committee
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — to get on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. field — for sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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