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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: stick · staff · spell · racket · kid · suit

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. suit — to fit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — child
  9. staff — employees
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — magic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spell — a short time

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