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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 120 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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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: cue · rush · field · rest · club · swing · arm · ruler

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. field — farmland
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — a hint
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — for sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. swing — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — a signal
  24. club — for dancing

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