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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. field — a subject
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — farmland
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — for sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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