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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. last — to go on
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. last — final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. last — finally
  12. mate — a partner
  13. board — a committee
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bass — low music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — to get on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — in football

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