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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: row · court · rest · object · cue · staff · squash · bowl

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of a king
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — to protest
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — a thing
  24. cue — a signal

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