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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — for sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — a subject
  13. pound — a weight
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — music
  22. rest — a break
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. march — the month

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