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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: bank · mine · shower · chest · cue · stand · board · mark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — rain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. board — a committee
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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