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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — for digging
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — a committee
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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