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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. season — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a committee
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — of the year
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — in football
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — to get on
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. board — a flat piece

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