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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — to go on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hand — help
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — a committee
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — soda
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — a signal
  22. board — to get on
  23. pop — to visit
  24. board — a flat piece

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