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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 120 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 · board · game · pound · mate · lean · staff

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — a match
  4. field — for sport
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mate — a friend
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — farmland
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mate — a partner
  15. field — a subject
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — a committee
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — wild animals
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — employees

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