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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cue — a hint
  4. board — to get on
  5. present — the time now
  6. cue — a signal
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stock — goods
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. present — there
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a ring
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. band — a music group
  22. present — a gift
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — shares

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