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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. field — a subject
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a song
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pound — a weight
  12. field — farmland
  13. board — a committee
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitch — a sports field

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