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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: mark · cue · mouse · chest · field · rock · staff · hand

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. hand — help
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. field — a subject
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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