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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.

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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. board — a committee
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cue — a signal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — rain
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. last — final

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