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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — to confront
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chest — a box
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitch — completely
  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