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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. face — to confront
  6. cue — for pool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fine — all right
  10. season — of the year
  11. cue — a signal
  12. board — a committee
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. face — part of the head
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fine — high quality
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — to get on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fine — a penalty

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