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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. present — a gift
  5. cap — a lid
  6. present — the time now
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tube — the underground
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cue — a signal
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — completely
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — to get on
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — a container

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