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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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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: cap · branch · board · pit · cue · wave · tear · toast

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. toast — bread
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cue — a hint
  11. branch — a division
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — a hole
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pit — in a race
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cue — a signal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a committee

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