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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. key — in music
  11. spell — letters
  12. spring — the season
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. last — to go on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. scale — size or range

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