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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · foot · squash · cue · chest · pop · wound · board

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. chest — a box
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pop — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a document
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pop — soda
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — to crush
  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