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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 116 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. field — farmland
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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