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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a word
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. roll — a list
  8. season — of the year
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — obliged
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. board — to get on
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — certain
  15. season — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — a committee
  20. root — the cause
  21. lean — to bend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cue — a signal
  24. season — to add flavour

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