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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. clip — a video
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. board — a committee
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — to get on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chest — a box
  24. clip — to cut

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