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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — to handle
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — of the year
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — to get on
  9. charge — in control
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. field — farmland
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a committee
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — for catching
  24. field — for sport

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