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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a music group
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — a path
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — humankind
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — the arms race
  21. track — a song
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — the tool

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