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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: board · cap · branch · cue · mug · game · key · squash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a hat
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — to get on
  10. squash — to crush
  11. key — for a lock
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cue — a signal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — a division
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. game — a match
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — of a tree

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