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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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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: spring · board · cue · branch · fan · content

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. board — to get on
  3. content — the amount
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. content — happy
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — of water
  14. cue — for pool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — the season

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