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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — a path
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — for sport
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — a break
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — what's left

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