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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: row · board · key · season · cue · mate · dip · chest

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. season — in sport
  3. key — for a lock
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cue — a hint
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — a line
  8. board — a committee
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — in music
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chest — a box
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cue — a signal

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