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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stock — shares
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stock — goods
  6. march — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cue — a hint
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a committee
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — for a hammer

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