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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · perch · staff · saw · object · court · cold · sharp

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. court — of law
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. cold — an illness
  14. perch — the fish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. object — an aim
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cue — a signal
  23. staff — a stick
  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