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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 120 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 · hand · cue · board · pound · mine · present · arm

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — there
  10. hand — help
  11. present — the time now
  12. board — to get on
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. present — a gift
  21. board — a committee
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hand — part of the body

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