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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. root — the cause
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pop — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pop — soda
  18. toast — bread
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — low music
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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