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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. season — of the year
  8. field — a subject
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. board — to get on
  11. field — for sport
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — a committee
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. suit — clothes
  22. branch — a division
  23. field — farmland
  24. straw — a straw man

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