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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. shower — to wash
  4. track — a path
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a hint
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — wild animals
  24. scale — for weighing

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