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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. board — to get on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. season — in sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — the fish
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. field — farmland
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — a subject
  20. roll — a list
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. coach — a trainer

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