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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 120 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: sharp · cue · branch · fan · scale · staff · rash · pit

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — a series
  5. pit — a hole
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — for pool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. scale — in music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — a signal

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