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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: content · board · cue · chest · pop · club · stand · squash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — a group
  3. chest — a box
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. content — happy
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. club — for golf
  19. board — a committee
  20. pop — to visit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cue — a hint
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pop — soda

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