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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: staff · hand · content · squash · craft · cue · bank · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — the amount
  5. cue — a hint
  6. track — a path
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. content — happy
  22. staff — a stick
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hand — part of the body

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