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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · land · field · kid · bass · track · cue · deal

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — farmland
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — a signal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. field — a subject
  10. land — to come down
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. land — ground
  14. track — to keep track
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cue — a hint
  19. field — for sport
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — a flat piece

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