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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 116 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: rest · field · wake · cue · suit · mate · staff · race

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — a contest
  3. cue — a signal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. suit — to fit
  6. field — a subject
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. wake — a trail
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cue — for pool
  17. race — humankind
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cue — a hint
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rest — a break

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