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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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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: club · squash · cell · prune · bank · board · cue · craft

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. cue — for pool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. club — a group
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cell — in biology
  15. board — to get on
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — boats
  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