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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — to come from
  7. field — for sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. file — a document
  14. root — of a word
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. file — a line of people
  19. root — of a plant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pound — a weight
  24. field — farmland

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