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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. board — to get on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chip — for betting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. perch — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — goods
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. field — a subject
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. prune — to trim
  23. field — farmland
  24. cue — a signal

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