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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: pass · field · ground · board · cell · prune · rock · rush

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a committee
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — to get on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cell — a phone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. field — for sport
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — farmland
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ground — a position

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