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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. key — for a lock
  3. content — the amount
  4. mate — a partner
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pop — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — in music
  12. cue — a hint
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pop — soda
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — to visit
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — farmland
  20. cue — for pool
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. mate — a friend
  24. content — happy

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