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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: stand · spring · net · season · field · race · safe · board

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — a committee
  6. net — after costs
  7. season — of the year
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — farmland
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — to bear
  19. field — for sport
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — to get on

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