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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: foot · hide · band · board · cue · clip · pound · squash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. band — a ring
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — a measure
  14. board — a committee
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. band — a music group
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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