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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: bear · field · stick · chip · board · net · pitcher · current

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — happening now
  8. board — a committee
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — to get on
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — farmland
  14. current — of water
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — after costs
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — a subject
  24. current — electric

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