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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: staff · scale · spring · cell · pitcher · object · court · pound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. spring — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spring — a coil
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. court — of a king
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. court — of law
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — an aim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — size or range
  23. court — for sport
  24. cell — a phone

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