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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 116 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: board · land · deal · present · saw · track · pass · field

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. land — ground
  2. field — a subject
  3. track — to keep track
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. field — for sport
  10. land — a country
  11. field — farmland
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — to come down
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. present — a gift
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a song
  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