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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. present — a gift
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — there
  5. board — a committee
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. can — to be able to
  10. field — farmland
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — a subject
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. field — for sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — the time now

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