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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. net — after costs
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — a face
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — the instrument

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