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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — of a king
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fine — high quality
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — of law
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. board — to get on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. court — for sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fine — all right
  23. trunk — of a car
  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