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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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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: cabinet · board · mate · deal · field · club · row · stand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. board — a committee
  4. field — farmland
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — to get on
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — for golf
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a partner
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. club — a group
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for dancing

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