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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · spell · rush · game · safe · racket

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — magic
  4. game — wild animals
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — letters
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — a short time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. racket — for tennis

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