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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 · season · branch · board · kick · foot · staff · object

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. board — a committee
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — a thing
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. staff — employees
  16. object — to protest
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cue — for pool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — to get on
  24. foot — the bottom

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