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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. board — to get on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pop — soda
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — wild animals
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — army training
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a committee
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — to visit
  24. game — a kind of play

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