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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. file — a document
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. file — a line of people
  11. game — a match
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — a signal
  19. file — a tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ball — a round shape

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