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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.

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: fan · cue · game · mouse · last · press · board · calf

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — finally
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. press — to push
  19. board — to get on
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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