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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — help
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — in cards
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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