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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. last — finally
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a signal
  8. last — to go on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — final
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — low music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cold — an illness
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cold — not warm
  24. can — a tin

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