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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — farmland
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a committee
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — a subject
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. field — for sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — for pool
  23. board — to get on
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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