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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 · can · board · rush · stick · file · object · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. object — an aim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — a thing
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. field — farmland
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — hurry
  18. file — a document
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. field — for sport

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