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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cue — a signal
  3. capital — money
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — for pool
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — a grade
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. capital — a city
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head

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