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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: swing · staff · cue · board · bear · fall · net · mine

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — in sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fall — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — music
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. net — for catching
  19. swing — in golf
  20. net — after costs
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bear — the animal

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