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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — to get on
  8. key — the most important part
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — a signal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — to keep track
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — in cards
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hand — help

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