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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.

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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: bark · bay · hand · cue · board · pound · staff · key

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pound — a weight
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bark — 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