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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
468
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: leaves · pitcher · staff · wound · mug · court · plane · squash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. plane — a tool
  6. court — for sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — to rob
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. staff — employees
  20. squash — to crush
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wound — an injury
  24. staff — a stick

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