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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · board · drill · race · press · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. race — a contest
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — a practice
  10. field — farmland
  11. drill — army training
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — a committee
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. drill — the tool
  18. race — humankind

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