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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cue — for pool
  20. board — to get on
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. board — a committee
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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