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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — a stone
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — happy
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — all right
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — steady
  22. cue — a hint
  23. firm — a company
  24. fine — high quality

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