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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: hand · branch · coach · cell · cue · board · ball · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ball — a dance
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — a division
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ball — a great time
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cell — in biology
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — a signal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. hand — help

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