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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 · rush · board · ruler · spell · cap · tear · mark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. field — for sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — a short time
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — to get on
  13. spell — magic
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tear — to rip
  22. field — farmland
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — for measuring

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