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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — there
  5. face — part of the head
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — to confront
  14. season — of the year
  15. field — a subject
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stand — to bear
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — in sport
  21. present — the time now
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — for sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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