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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. field — for sport
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. game — wild animals
  8. field — farmland
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — in music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. scale — for weighing

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