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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: jam · cap · net · toast · field · board · swing · craft

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. swing — music
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. field — for sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. net — for catching
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — in sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. cap — a lid
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a skill
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cap — a hat
  18. field — a subject
  19. net — after costs
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — in golf

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