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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hand — help
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — completely
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — boats
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a signal

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