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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. field — a subject
  3. swing — in golf
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. row — a line
  11. field — for sport
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitcher — a jug

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