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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: rush · arm · snap · staff · track · board · pop · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pop — music
  3. board — to get on
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pop — to visit
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. field — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. track — a path
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — to keep track
  18. snap — to click
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — soda
  22. field — farmland
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — a song

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