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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — a path
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rule — government
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. race — humankind
  16. bound — certain
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — a law
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — a contest

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