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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · squash · deal · cue · band · clip · charge · nail

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. squash — to crush
  10. band — a music group
  11. cue — a signal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — a video
  16. charge — a price
  17. deal — to handle
  18. band — a ring
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. clip — for paper
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. clip — to cut
  24. squash — the vegetable

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