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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — a committee
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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