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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: field · cue · chip · lash · spell · board · tear · suit

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — for sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — to get on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cue — a hint
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cue — a signal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. board — a committee
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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