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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — a committee
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — thin
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — for catching
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. field — farmland
  20. row — a line
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bay — a horse colour

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