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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · hand · scale · staff · rush · field · cue · fork

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hand — in cards
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. field — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mine — for digging
  13. field — a subject
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — help
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. field — farmland
  24. scale — in music

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