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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: cue · tear · toast · bass · mouse · board · hand · swing

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. board — a committee
  5. bass — the fish
  6. toast — bread
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — low music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cue — a hint
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hand — help
  21. board — to get on
  22. swing — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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