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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · branch · content · chair · present · stock · staff · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — for pool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — the amount
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — a safe
  16. content — happy
  17. stock — shares
  18. present — there
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chair — a leader
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — goods
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a professorship

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