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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. root — the cause
  3. season — of the year
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. board — to get on
  8. present — the time now
  9. root — of a word
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — there
  18. swing — music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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