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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: cue · ground · ball · board · club · staff · toast · bulb

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. board — a committee
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. toast — bread
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ground — a position
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ground — the earth

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