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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. board — a flat piece

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