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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 · current · bound · file · coach · deal · field · pit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. current — electric
  3. file — a document
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pit — in a race
  8. field — farmland
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a committee
  11. field — for sport
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — happening now
  15. field — a subject
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — to get on
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. file — a tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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