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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: field · pop · date · ruler · stand · hand · suit · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — farmland
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — clothes
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — music

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