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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mine — for digging
  3. object — to protest
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — an aim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — to get on
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — a hint

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