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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. field — a subject
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — a hint
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — all right
  10. cue — for pool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — farmland
  13. board — to get on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — a grade
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. field — for sport
  19. last — final
  20. cue — a signal
  21. last — to go on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — a penalty

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