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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. track — a path
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mark — a grade
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — goods
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a match
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — shares
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fall — the season
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — a trace
  21. track — a song
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — to keep track

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