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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. board — a committee
  4. content — happy
  5. ground — a position
  6. content — the amount
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cue — a hint
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — videos and posts

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