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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: pass · cue · wind · key · staff · mouse · branch · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — a stick
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cue — a signal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. staff — employees
  21. bat — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bat — in an idiom

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