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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: board · stick · branch · club · scale · cue · game · stock

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — for golf
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — wild animals
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — to get on
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. club — a group
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — for weighing

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