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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rest — a break
  3. season — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — for sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — a subject
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — for money
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — a committee
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. field — farmland

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