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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 · board · object · clip · cabinet · dip · race · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. field — a subject
  3. object — to protest
  4. field — for sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. clip — a video
  12. race — the arms race
  13. object — a thing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. field — farmland
  19. board — a committee
  20. object — an aim
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — a sauce
  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