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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. cue — a signal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pop — soda
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — for pool
  10. toast — bread
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a committee
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — to get on
  23. saw — the tool
  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