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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chip — for betting
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of a king
  19. board — to get on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. court — for sport
  22. track — a song
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — for weighing

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