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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cold — an illness
  12. board — to get on
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. club — for golf

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