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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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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: cap · field · board · staff · cold · bank · track · roll

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — to get on
  5. roll — a list
  6. track — a path
  7. bank — for money
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cold — an illness
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — of a river
  14. board — a committee
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — not warm
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cap — of ice
  20. field — farmland
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. staff — a stick

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