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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fall — to drop
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a committee
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — to get on
  9. field — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. degree — temperature
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bank — of a river
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — for money

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