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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: wave · cue · ball · board · chest · mate · mark · field

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. field — farmland
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a great time
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chest — a box
  24. mate — a partner

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