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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — farmland
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. last — to go on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. field — a subject
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bank — of a river
  21. last — final
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — to get on

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