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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — an aim
  3. hand — in cards
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. court — of a king
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. object — a thing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — help
  20. object — to protest
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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