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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
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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: board · land · game · jam · cue · lie · bass · kid

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kid — child
  3. land — a country
  4. game — a match
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bass — the fish
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bass — low music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. land — ground
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — to recline
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kid — to tease
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cue — for pool
  21. land — to come down
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. game — wild animals

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