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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cue — a signal
  3. clip — a video
  4. board — to get on
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cue — a hint
  17. key — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — a football final

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