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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — the sport
  4. court — for sport
  5. key — in music
  6. snap — to click
  7. board — a committee
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — a phone
  10. key — for a lock
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lie — to recline
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cue — for pool
  24. board — to get on

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