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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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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: bay · field · cue · can · swing · board · lash · race

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — in golf
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — to get on
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — to play on
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. race — humankind
  19. swing — music
  20. board — a committee
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a signal

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