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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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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: board · cue · straw · toast · game · deal · face · cap

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. game — a match
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a signal
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — to confront
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cap — a lid
  14. toast — bread
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cap — a hat
  18. board — to get on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. game — wild animals
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. straw — a straw man

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