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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pass — a permit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. last — final
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. last — finally
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — to get on

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