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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — certain
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — a permit
  11. last — finally
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cue — a hint
  18. last — final

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