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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: rock · stick · stand · content · bore · board · swing · cue

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. board — a committee
  3. content — happy
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a signal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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