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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — a signal
  15. scale — in music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — to get on
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ball — a round shape

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