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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. land — a country
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. land — ground
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — for sport
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a committee
  13. current — happening now
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — electric
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — to get on
  23. field — farmland
  24. current — of water

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