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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: spring · chair · board · field · mark · calf · cue · date

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a committee
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spring — a coil
  17. field — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — to get on
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. chair — a leader
  24. spring — the season

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