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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — to get on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spell — magic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — thin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a round shape

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