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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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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: fan · staff · mark · court · tube · saw · cabinet · rule

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — for sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — government
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rule — a law
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — of a king
  23. mark — a trace
  24. court — of law

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