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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: cue · rock · mine · hand · chip · staff · rush · mark

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hand — help
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. rock — to move gently

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