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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.

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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: present · wave · field · board · mouse · craft · chip · race

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — a committee
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. race — the arms race
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. present — a gift
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. field — a subject

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