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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pop — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. file — a tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pop — to visit
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — a committee
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. pop — soda

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