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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. shower — to wash
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. root — the cause
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. net — after costs
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — in sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. shower — rain
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cold — not warm
  19. net — for catching
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cue — a hint
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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