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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. court — of law
  7. board — a committee
  8. plane — a tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. court — of a king
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bound — certain
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. field — farmland
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — to get on

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