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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: board · capital · wave · coach · rock · field · deal · perch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — a committee
  7. capital — a city
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — money
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. field — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. perch — the fish
  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