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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. game — a match
  11. object — to protest
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tube — a container
  18. cell — a phone
  19. board — to get on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. object — an aim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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