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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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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: firm · wound · bore · board · stick · net · club · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — after costs
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. net — for catching
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for golf
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — to get on
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cue — for pool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — decided
  22. bore — to tire
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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