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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: court · net · safe · staff · stem · hand · stick · temple

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hand — help
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — in cards
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — in sport
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. court — of law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. stem — to come from

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