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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — to be able to
  9. field — for sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — to tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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