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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: board · row · fan · ball · stand · field · mug · scale

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. field — a subject
  3. scale — in music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — farmland
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stand — on your feet

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