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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — in cards
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. land — to come down
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — help
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — the animal
  24. content — the amount

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