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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. field — farmland
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. field — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. board — a committee

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