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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: foot · club · suit · board · field · chip · row · season

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. row — to paddle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — in sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. field — a subject
  14. board — a committee
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — farmland
  17. club — a group
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — for golf
  21. chip — to eat
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — for betting
  24. row — a line

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