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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. board — a committee
  4. cue — a hint
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. last — to go on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. file — a tool
  11. last — final
  12. file — a document
  13. scale — in music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chest — a box
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — finally
  19. cue — a signal
  20. board — to get on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — in cards

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