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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: rash · bore · cue · plane · deal · march · current · field

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — a series
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — of water
  9. field — a subject
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. march — music
  13. current — electric
  14. bore — to drill
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a hint
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. deal — an agreement

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