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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: nail · cue · march · board · arm · rush · field · calf

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. field — a subject
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a signal
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — a committee
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. field — for sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. board — to get on
  22. cue — a hint
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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