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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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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: pop · net · cue · stick · club · tube · board · branch

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — in sport
  9. club — a group
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a hint
  24. board — a committee

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