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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — in sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bass — low music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — for catching
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fine — all right
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cold — an illness
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — to get on

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