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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a committee
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. file — a document
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mug — a face
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. kick — in football
  13. file — a tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. branch — a division
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mug — to rob

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