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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: court · deal · scale · cue · foot · straw · wind · mug

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. court — of law
  6. mug — a face
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — in music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — a signal
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — size or range

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