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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. field — a subject
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. scale — in music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. craft — boats
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stand — to bear
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. game — a match
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. craft — a skill
  20. field — for sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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