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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. net — in sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. board — to get on
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — a price
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. net — for catching
  24. cue — a signal

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