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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. vault — a safe
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cue — a signal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cue — a hint
  11. season — of the year
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cold — not warm
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — the bottom

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