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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — in control
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — to get on
  13. row — a line
  14. face — to point toward
  15. charge — a price
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bear — the animal

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