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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: race · mouse · mark · trunk · bank · cue · fan · staff

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. race — the arms race
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bank — of a river
  20. race — humankind
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — employees

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