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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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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: squash · bay · field · leaves · face · board · cap · stand

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. field — farmland
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — to confront
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — a committee
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — to point toward
  24. board — a flat piece

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