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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. race — humankind
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. race — the arms race
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. scale — in music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. race — a contest
  19. squash — the sport
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — a leader
  22. scale — size or range
  23. squash — to crush
  24. field — farmland

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