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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. present — the time now
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — to get on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a hint
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. present — there
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mate — a friend

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