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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — to get on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — completely
  10. cue — a hint
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kid — child
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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