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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. charge — in control
  3. board — to get on
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. file — a document
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. present — there
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — farmland
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kick — in football
  18. present — the time now
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. charge — a price
  22. squash — the sport
  23. file — a line of people
  24. field — a subject

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