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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — a group
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cue — a signal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. club — for golf
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cue — for pool

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