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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: staff · cell · craft · bank · content · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — boats
  4. bank — of a river
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — in biology
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cue — for pool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — a phone
  16. content — happy
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — the amount

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