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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — for sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. spell — magic
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — a committee
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — letters
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — finally
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bulb — of a plant

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