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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: bowl · bank · march · game · rush · trunk · staff · cue

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. march — music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — wild animals
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bank — for money
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a match
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — for pool

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