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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — a committee
  4. staff — employees
  5. chest — of your body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — of water
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chest — a box
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — a subject
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spring — a coil

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