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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: season · trunk · bowl · board · lie · arm · field · pitch

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. board — to get on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. field — a subject
  10. lie — to recline
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitch — completely
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. season — in sport

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