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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: field · charge · saw · ball · board · nail · mate · root

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — farmland
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a dance
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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