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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a signal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. content — happy
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — rain
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. swing — to play on
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — a hint
  20. shower — to wash
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. root — the cause
  23. bank — of a river
  24. straw — a straw man

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