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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. land — ground
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bound — obliged
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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