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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — in music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. firm — steady

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