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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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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 · plane · rule · rush · pitch · pound · branch · race

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — government
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — hurry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. race — the arms race
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. branch — a division
  17. race — a contest
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — for pool
  24. race — humankind

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