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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pop — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pop — to visit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pop — soda
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — high quality
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — for catching
  21. field — farmland
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — to get on
  24. fine — all right

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