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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: staff · stand · clip · rest · pass · racket · court · ruler

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — a video
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — a permit
  9. court — of a king
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — a break
  15. court — for sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. clip — for paper
  24. racket — for tennis

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