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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: track · lean · current · board · club · ground · field · pound

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — a song
  4. field — for sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. current — electric
  7. track — a path
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — a position
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — crushed
  12. track — to keep track
  13. field — farmland
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. current — happening now
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. field — a subject
  19. club — a group
  20. board — a committee
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. current — of water
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lean — thin

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