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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · bowl · board · game · cue · face · track · land

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a committee
  5. cue — a hint
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — ground
  12. face — to point toward
  13. track — a path
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — a song

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