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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 116 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 the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. root — the cause
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. land — a country
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — in a road
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. field — farmland
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. patient — a sick person

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