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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. ball — a dance
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chest — a box
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — to get on
  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