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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. board — a committee
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. season — in sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. field — for sport

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