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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a path
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — a signal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — for pool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. date — the fruit
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — a committee
  23. field — for sport
  24. stock — goods

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