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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. content — the amount
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. club — for golf
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — a group
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — farmland
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. club — for dancing
  18. field — for sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — to get on
  21. ground — a position
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. board — a flat piece

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