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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. row — a line
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — a signal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. nail — for a hammer

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