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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.

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: tear · arm · row · board · firm · land · season · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — to come down
  6. season — in sport
  7. land — ground
  8. firm — a company
  9. land — a country
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. firm — steady
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — to paddle
  23. tear — to rip
  24. row — a line

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