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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: board · cue · wake · last · field · spring · scale · bay

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — of water
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — to go on
  14. spring — the season
  15. field — for sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — a hint
  18. last — final
  19. field — a subject
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — to get on
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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