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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: current · board · spell · trunk · march · bank · field · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — a short time
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — letters
  16. march — the month
  17. field — farmland
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. current — happening now
  21. board — to get on
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a car

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