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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mug — a face
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. board — to get on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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