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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kid — child
  21. spell — letters
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a committee

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