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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. spell — letters
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chair — a leader
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. march — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spell — a short time
  17. board — a committee
  18. march — the month
  19. board — to get on
  20. spell — magic
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chair — to sit 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