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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. field — for sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — bread
  5. board — a committee
  6. bound — certain
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. field — farmland
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. field — a subject
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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