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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. field — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — to come down
  7. cue — a hint
  8. row — to paddle
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a line
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a committee
  14. land — a country
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — a subject
  22. land — ground
  23. perch — the fish
  24. field — farmland

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