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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to bend
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — to paddle
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — to rest against

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