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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cue — a signal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a committee
  22. cue — for pool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to click

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