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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — ground
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a hint
  8. land — a country
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. land — to come down
  12. present — there
  13. cold — not warm
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cap — a lid
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — to get on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a committee

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