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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: rush · hand · saw · ground · bound · scale · staff · cue

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bound — certain
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a signal
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — hurry

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