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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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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 · key · club · rush · cue · wave · pound · cabinet

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — for a lock
  3. club — for golf
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pound — a weight
  7. key — the most important part
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for dancing
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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