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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. suit — in cards
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. field — farmland
  6. present — the time now
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. suit — to fit
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. board — a committee
  16. field — a subject
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. field — for sport
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — clothes
  21. board — to get on
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — to sink

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