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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — the amount
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. shower — to wash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — a hint
  15. content — happy
  16. season — in sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fine — all right
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a ring
  23. shower — rain
  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