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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: pop · tear · spell · field · fine · bay · board · chair

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chair — a leader
  7. field — farmland
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tear — to rip
  15. field — for sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — a subject
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — a horse colour

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