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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. board — to get on
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a dance
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. file — a document
  15. object — to protest
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. file — a line of people
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — an aim
  24. file — a tool

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