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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. net — after costs
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bass — low music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — farmland
  15. tube — a container
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — to rob
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to spend time

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