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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — a signal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wound — an injury
  14. date — the fruit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wound — an injury

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