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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rash · chest · cue · craft · bear · content · staff

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. board — a committee
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chest — a box
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — boats
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — the amount
  20. rash — a series
  21. content — happy
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your 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