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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — of the year
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — of your body
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pop — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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