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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: cue · toast · pitcher · pass · squash · court · rest · stick

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. court — of law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of a king
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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