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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. swing — in golf

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