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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · cabinet · lie · cue · board · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cue — a hint
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — a kind of play

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