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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — in music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cap — of ice
  6. field — for sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. drill — army training
  12. cap — a hat
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — there
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — a gift
  17. wind — moving air
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. board — a flat piece

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