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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 120 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
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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: saw · cue · drill · root · staff · face · cap · court

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. court — of a king
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cue — a signal
  9. face — to confront
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — the cause
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — of ice
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to point toward
  24. root — of a word

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