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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cue — for pool
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — to get on
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cue — a hint
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. scale — size or range
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — to play on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — music

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