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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: season · pit · key · field · chair · arm · prune · board

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — in music
  3. season — of the year
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — in sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — a leader
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. key — the most important part
  21. field — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. field — farmland
  24. arm — a part of something

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