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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.

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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of a king
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a friend
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. board — a committee
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — a stone
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — the fish

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