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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cold — an illness
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cue — a hint
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mate — a partner
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — a friend

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