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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cue — a hint
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rest — a break
  11. bank — of a river
  12. season — of the year
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. face — to point toward
  19. date — the fruit
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — what's left

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