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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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Word bank
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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: scale · fan · key · race · board · wind · cue · field

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — in music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. cue — for pool
  10. field — for sport
  11. race — humankind
  12. board — a committee
  13. scale — in music
  14. board — to get on
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — size or range
  24. key — the most important part

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