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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: content · bank · saw · stick · pound · board · cue · field

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — a weight
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — of a river
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. board — a committee
  18. field — for sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — for dogs

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