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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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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: toast · court · cabinet · staff · chest · row · rock · rush

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. court — for sport
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. toast — bread
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rock — music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. staff — employees
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. staff — employees
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. court — of a king
  22. row — to paddle
  23. court — of law
  24. toast — the most admired

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