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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: pound · file · branch · rush · cue · staff

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. file — a document
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. branch — a division
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rush — hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. file — a line of people

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