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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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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — a committee
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — farmland
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. perch — the fish

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