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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: fine · sharp · game · cabinet · tear · club · cue · board

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. club — a group
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. sharp — clever
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. board — a committee
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — to get on
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for golf
  20. game — a match
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tear — from crying

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