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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 · pitcher · row · board · cue · plane · cell · bound

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. game — a match
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cell — in biology
  7. row — a line
  8. plane — a tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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