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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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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: chest · board · cue · mark · bay · bowl · racket · hand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chest — a box
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — to get on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — a signal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — help

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