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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: calf · staff · court · mine · mug · pass · ruler · rush

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — a face
  7. court — of a king
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — for sport

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