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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — in golf
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — a gift
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — to be able to
  9. squash — the sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. swing — music
  12. present — there
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a committee
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. field — a subject
  20. row — a line
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. present — the time now

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