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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — a committee
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — to get on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. field — for sport
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. field — farmland
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — the time now
  23. field — a subject
  24. bear — the animal

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