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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — for pool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — a committee
  9. content — happy
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lean — to bend
  21. content — the amount
  22. root — the cause
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fine — all right

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