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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 116 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: clip · mug · pound · cue · content · club · board · staff

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — to cut
  6. staff — employees
  7. club — for golf
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. content — the amount
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cue — a hint
  13. content — happy
  14. board — to get on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mug — to rob
  18. clip — a video
  19. cue — a signal
  20. club — a group
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. clip — for paper
  24. staff — a stick

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