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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. present — a gift
  3. net — after costs
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. net — for catching
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — the time now
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. present — there
  24. board — to get on

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