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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: fine · cue · fall · field · present · pit · wax · board

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a committee
  5. cue — a hint
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — in a race
  14. present — a gift
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. field — a subject
  22. fine — all right
  23. fall — the season
  24. present — the time now

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