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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 120 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: nail · season · board · swing · squash · pitcher · charge · field

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. squash — to crush
  8. swing — in golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — farmland
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. charge — a price
  22. field — a subject
  23. season — in sport
  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