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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: cue · dip · rest · saw · bulb · club · craft · board

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. board — a committee
  3. craft — boats
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — to get on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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