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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · cell · net · mark · current · field · lean · cue

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. field — a subject
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — happening now
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — electric
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — after costs
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lean — thin

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