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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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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: cue · club · game · fan · row · board · rash · branch

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. game — a match
  5. club — for golf
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — wild animals
  12. club — a group
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. row — a quarrel

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