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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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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: mine · court · drill · stick · rest · straw · game · cue

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. drill — army training
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — for pool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of law
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. court — of a king
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rest — a break
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — a match
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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