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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: ball · cue · wind · board · calf · deal · pop · fall

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. pop — soda
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ball — a dance
  24. deal — to handle

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