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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — boats
  4. band — a ring
  5. craft — a skill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a music group
  8. cue — a signal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — there
  13. field — for sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. present — a gift
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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