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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: board · pit · club · cue · content · sharp · cold · squash

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — to get on
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — happy
  20. squash — to crush
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. content — the amount
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cue — a signal

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