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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. game — a match
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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