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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cue — for pool
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a document
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stem — to come from
  21. key — the most important part
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bat — the animal

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