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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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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: file · court · board · cue · wound · bank · toast · cell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a committee
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cue — a hint
  14. court — of a king
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — for sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. file — a line of people

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