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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. spell — letters
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a committee
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — completely
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cue — a hint
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. band — a music group
  23. spell — a short time
  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