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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: bowl · mark · sharp · jam · wake · board · rule · cue

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rule — government
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. board — to get on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — a law
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cue — for pool

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