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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: stand · row · pitcher · pop · rush · staff · key · branch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — the most important part
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. key — for a lock
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pop — soda
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pop — to visit
  21. staff — a stick
  22. row — a line
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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