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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: stand · cue · arm · toast · rush · ground · field · club

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. field — for sport
  5. rush — hurry
  6. field — farmland
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. club — for dancing
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cue — a signal
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cue — a hint

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