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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — to breed
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — of the year
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — in 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