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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wake — a trail
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — for pool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — to get on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — a break
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — a subject

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