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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — a committee
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators

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