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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. track — a path
  5. bat — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pop — soda
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pop — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — to point toward
  20. track — a song
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. board — to get on
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cue — a signal

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