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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. field — a subject
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. field — farmland
  9. board — a committee
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. field — for sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — to get on
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — music

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