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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a trace
  3. branch — a division
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — a series
  15. current — happening now
  16. date — the fruit
  17. field — a subject
  18. board — to get on
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — farmland
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. current — electric

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