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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. field — for sport
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — a committee
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — music
  12. field — a subject
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — from a university
  20. field — farmland
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rock — a stone

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