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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mine — for digging
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fine — all right

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