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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — in control
  19. field — farmland
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — a subject

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