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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. field — farmland
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. degree — temperature
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. board — a committee
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. degree — an amount
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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