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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. field — farmland
  8. file — a document
  9. stand — to bear
  10. board — to get on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. field — for sport
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a committee
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hand — in cards
  22. file — a line of people
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. field — a subject

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