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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. board — a committee
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cue — a hint

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