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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: racket · field · bulb · rest · board · coach · content · cabinet

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. board — a committee
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — a break
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. content — the amount

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