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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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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: kid · stick · rest · staff · deal · club

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for golf
  12. staff — employees
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — a break
  18. club — for dancing

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