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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. file — a document
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. board — a committee
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stand — to bear
  16. file — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — farmland
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. field — for sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. file — a line of people
  24. board — to get on

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