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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. scale — size or range
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — in music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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