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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — for sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a committee
  17. mate — to breed
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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