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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: game · mouse · field · fine · saw · rest · board · rush

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. game — a match
  6. field — a subject
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — a break
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a committee
  11. fine — all right
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. field — farmland
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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