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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: board · fan · field · land · calf · object · coach · season

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — ground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — a country
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — of the year
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. field — farmland

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