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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: board · date · cabinet · cue · firm · can · stick · current

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. firm — decided
  7. current — happening now
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — to be able to
  10. firm — steady
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. firm — a company
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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