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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cue — a hint
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — high quality
  7. game — a match
  8. board — to get on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. track — a song
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. track — a path
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fine — all right
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. game — a kind of play

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