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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. pitch — completely
  4. present — the time now
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to click
  7. board — a committee
  8. drill — army training
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — to grow
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. board — to get on
  24. cue — for pool

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