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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. firm — steady
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — a company
  13. board — to get on
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. board — a committee
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. firm — decided

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