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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: track · fine · bound · cabinet · board · cue · bat · chest

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — a path
  10. chest — a box
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — to keep track

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