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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 · toast · scale · leaves · cue · field · lash · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — of water
  5. cue — a hint
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. field — a subject
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — happening now
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. current — electric
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. toast — bread
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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