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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: file · cue · coach · bulb · staff · bank · stick · foot

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a document
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bank — of a river
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a signal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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